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Bees

We no longer provide a pest control service, if you have a problem with bees in your home, please consider contacting a pest control specialist.

Honey bees

Generally speaking honey bees tend to be kept by bee keepers. However, occasionally swarms of bees will be seen. This usually happens in May, June and July. Swarms will rest in trees, on buildings and around chimneys. If left alone, they pose no serious risk to either animals or man. They are usually looking for a “new home” and will move on after a day or so if the location is not suitable.

Bees are docile creatures and will not usually sting unless provoked. If a bee uses its sting, it will then die. The sting is barbed and cannot be withdrawn from its “victim”. Stings are painful, but people do not normally need to seek medical help unless they have a serious allergic reaction.

Swarms of bees which are gaining access to the inside of a property will present a risk to the occupiers, but if the bees do not have access to the house they will not usually be a threat.

If you do have a swarm of bees that do not have access to your property, we would advise you to contact a local bee keeper who may be willing to come and collect the swarm from you.

Bumblebees

Bumblebees (also spelled bumble bee, also known as humblebee) are social insects that are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. However, some species have orange or red on their bodies, or may be entirely black.

Queen and worker bumblebees can sting, but like virtually all bees, the sting is not barbed (only honey bees have a barbed sting), so they can sting more than once. Bumblebee species are non-aggressive, but will sting when defending their nest, or if harmed.

Bumblebees are extremely important for the pollination of plants including crops and wildflowers.

Bumblebee nests vary among the bumblebee species with some species preferring to nest in underground holes, others in tussock grass, or directly on the ground.

In the case of bumblebees, our policy is always conservation, and therefore we will always advise you to leave the nest in situ.

Solitary bees

The vast majority of bees are solitary, living their lives as single bees, with single nest cells. There are about 250 different species of solitary bees in Britain. A surprising number occur in gardens. Some of the species include the mason bees, leafcutters, mining bees, cuckoo bees and loads more.

They are very efficient pollinators. Some species are quite specialized and have close connections with certain types of plants.

These are virtually harmless bees, hardly bothering even to defend their own nests. Only the females sting and they have feeble stings. They will only attempt to sting you if you handle them roughly.